Life and Loss
by Emmeline Bondurant
Summary: It is so very nice to have someone that understood.
1. Chapter 1

The first time that Neville had ever truly noticed Lavender Brown, was on the day of her fifteenth birthday. He was hanging around the fireplace with a glass filled with butter beer chatting with Dean when the entire room erupted into cheers. As he looked to the common room door he found a thoroughly surprised and laughing Lavender with her hand held above her heart.

Everyone immediately went into a rendition of Happy Birthday that held several good-willed insults, slurs, and sexual inuendos that had even Neville chuckling along. Lavender gave another pleasant laugh before she was swept into the room and a cake with tons more candles than she was old was presented to her. When she blew them out with a loud shout of, "I wish for a good shag!" the entire room fell into an uproar.

Catcalls were whistled even as Hermione had stepped up and made a vain attempt at getting the room back under control. The party went on, with music blaring, everyone dancing, and even a few fifth years trying to make good on that wish. It was then amidst the rowdy Gryffindors that he took Lavender by the hand and led her away to Parvati. He could feel her eyes follow him as he left her in safe hands with a soft, "Happy Birthday."


	2. Chapter 2

A sudden splash of water hit her in the face and Lavender coughed as it went partially up her nose. She wiped the water from her eyes and hacked again for good measure, pinching her nose together to ease the burning. "Don't be a git Finnegan!" She called out to the boy who was rapidly swimming away as if he expected her to retaliate.

Parvati snickered beside of her and reached out to smooth her friends hair back down, "He's a child." Lavender smiled in agreement as she glanced around the prefect's bathroom. It was half way through their fifth year, in the dead of winter. She and half of the fifth year class were taking advantage in the swimming pool sized bathtub by swimming in the warm water with mass amounts of bubbles.

Surprisingly at least to her, it had been Neville's idea when he hadn't been able to get warm enough in front of the common room fireplace. She looked to find him sitting on the stairs, simply watching everyone splash about. Wading over, she settled down beside him and he gave her a curious look. "This was a wonderful idea Neville. I wish one of us had thought of this years ago." He gave her a smile that made her stomach flop a little before he shifted a bit to give her more room.


	3. Chapter 3

As a newly appointed school rule, no students were to leave Hogwarts for the normally extended Christmas holiday. Of course, everyone knew exactly why the rule was put in place but rather than disappointment many were excited to be able to celebrate the holiday with their friends. Lavender, however, was one of the few to be quite sad about not seeing their families. So when her seventh year Christmas morning since dawned and she was set around the tree, watching as all of her friends exchanged presents, she gave a sorrowed smile.

Parvati was watching closely as Lavender tore open the small box that she had been gifted and squealed when she revealed what was inside. She lifted the beautiful necklace from the case and held it to the light of the fire. It's jewel shone a frosted rainbow of colors and she thanked her friend profusely. As she was trying to clip it around her neck and failing, a crunch of wrapping paper startled her and she found Neville sitting down next to her.

"Would you like help with that?" He asked softly and she nodded shortly, allowing him to take the chain from her fingers. The necklace was clipped around her neck on the first try and she looked down, fingers grasping the jewel. "Topaz, like the color of your eyes..." He explained, "It's beautiful." Her cheeks flushed at his words and couldn't stop herself from giving him a shy smile.


	4. Chapter 4

"Neville?" The soft words were called from outside door with a knock of the seventh year boys dormitory. Neville heard the door creak open and glanced back from his place by the window to find Lavender standing just inside the room. He gave her a nod in greeting before looking back out onto the grounds. The sound of the door being shut and her steps further into the room gave him a small comfort as she took a seat on his bed.

There were long moments as they sat quietly, allowing the silence to embrace them. It was finally with a heavy sigh that Neville spoke, "I know that after this year I'll have graduated..." He paused as if trying to find the words he was looking for, "and I know that I've never been terribly fond of Gran." As those final words left his mouth, she could see his shoulders begin to tremble as he gave a shuttering breath, "But I never really wanted to lose her."

It was as if the flood gates opened and Lavender watched with sad eyes as Neville fell apart at the seams. She took him gently into her arms and rocked him back and forth, letting him get it all out. "I was only seven when my little brother died. He was the most beautiful baby. This year, he would have been eleven and in his first year." She sighed softly, "I know it isn't exactly alike, but I am so very sorry all the same." Neville wrapped his own arms around her waist in silent thanks. It might not have been what she meant for, but it made him feel better that she understood.


	5. Chapter 5

In the middle of a scorched battlefield, piles of rubble and ruin around him, Neville wandered aimlessly. After all that they had gone through, it was over. The wizarding world was finally free of the Dark Lord. They had not been wrong to believe in Harry. He was helping to collect the fallen, those who had lost their lives to the fight. It was difficult, to see the blank faces and know that you had spoken to them. Or even worse, to have no idea whose person he was looking at.

As he stepped over a fallen wall of a courtyard, he found blood splattered under a pile stones. He went about carefully moving a few of the pieces and to his despair, he found another. One red sneaker peeked out from the pile of rubble and he moved with further haste to remove the stones. It was only when he had uncovered the girls leg and arm before he stopped as dread filled his heart. Gripped in her small hand hung a chain with a topaz jewel.

Sinking to his knees, tears began to stream down his cheeks as he held the cold hand desperately in his own. His cries of anguish went ignored as other survivors moved around them. He lost himself in the pain until what felt like hours later with puffy eyes and watery eyes, he lay himself down next to her. Taking the necklace, he put it around his own neck and closed his eyes. Just as he had found her, he had lost her.

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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


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